Car-coupling.



140.6603715.Y Patenteu'oct. 3o, |900.

.a KELso cAn couPLma.

(Application ed Feb. 28, 1900.)

4 Sh sets-Sheet 2.

No. 666,776. .Patented oct. so, woo.

J KELS 'Il CAR COUP'LING. (Applicatin me@ Feb. 26, 1900.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(lo Model.)

FIG.

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No. l660,776. Patented out. 2,0,` 19nd.

.1. xELsn, cAn vcouPLme.

(Appliwion med Feb. 23, 1900 MHH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KELSO, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCOONWAY da TORLEY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 660,776, dated October 30, 1900.

Application filed February 23, 1900. Serial No. 6,236. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH KELso, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-v Couplers, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in car-couplers of the .Ianney or swinging-hook type, and has for its object a construction and combination of parts whereby the locking-block may be securely held in locking position and whereby the locking-block may be supported or held in unlocking position while the hook is in closed position.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a top plan view, the upper wall of the coupler-head being removed. Fig. 2 shows the couplerhead in section and the coupling and locking mechanism in elevation. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional plan views on a plane indicated by the line III IV, Fig. 2, the knuckle being in elevation and showing, respectively, the parts in unlocked positions and the knuckle closed and opened. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on a plane indicated bythe line V V, Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow a, Figs. 6, 7, and 8, showing, respectively, the position of the parts with the knuckle closed and unlocked, open, and closed and locked. Fig. 9 is a detail View of the lockingpin, key, and prop. Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the end of a car having my improved coupler attached thereto and showing means for operating the knuckle-lock from the side of the car, and Fig. ll is a perspective View illustrating a modification of improvement.

My improved coupler consists of the head l, knuckle 2, and swinging locking-block 3. The knuckle 2 is so constructed and pivoted to the head that the tail 22t thereof will swing back into line with the pivot-pin and practically fill the space between the side wall of the head and the locking-block. The locking-block 3 is loosely mounted on a pin et,

passing through a box or shell 5, formed on the upper side of the coupler-head in front of the usual stop or shoulder formed on freightcouplers for limiting, by bearing on the end sill of the car, the inward movementof the coupler. In practice this stop or abutment would form the rear side of the box or shell. The forward movement of the block 3 to locking position is limited by a stop 6, against which a lug 7, projecting from the lower end of the block 3, will strike. As the bottom wall of the recess in the coupler-head should be made smooth to avoid interference with the movement of the tail of the knuckle, the stop 6 is preferably formed by the end wall of a slot 8 in the bottom wall of the couplerhead. This slot is so located that the lug 7 will pass into and strike against the stop 6 when the knuckle swings back to locking position.

The locking-block is held in operative position in front of the tail of the knuckle by means ofa block or wedge 9, provided with a stem l0, projecting up through an opening in the top of the box or shell 5. This wedge or block is made of a length approximately equal tothe width of the locking-block and normally rests on the rear face of the latter.

When the locking-block swings forward to locking position, the block or wedge will drop down between the rear face of the lockingblock and the wall of the coupler-head, and thereby wedge the locking-block in forward or locking position, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 8. This block or wedge 9 is employed for shifting the lockingblock from operative position, the lock being provided at or .near its upper end with lingers ll, project ing rearwardly into the path of movement of the block when shifted from locking position, so that by continuing the same upward movement, which edects a release of the locking-block, the wedge or block 9 will strike against these fingers and swing the lockingblock back out of the path of movement of the tail of the knuckle, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6.

It is frequently desirable in the yard-drilling of cars to unlock the knuckle between the adjacent cars without separating the latter and to hold the couplers in unlocking position. To eect this function, a prop or arm IOO l2 is formed on one end of the wedge or block 9, said arm being so arranged that when the wedge or block is raised to shift the lockingblock the lower end of the prop 12 will be thrown forward onto a shoulder 13, formed along the rear end of the tail of the knuckle. /Vhile the prop rests upon this shoulder the locking-block will be held in unlocking position, as shown in Fig. 6. As will be seen by reference to Figs. l, 3, and 4, the vertical wall of the tail of the knuckle, immediately above the shoulder 18, is so shapedl that when the knuckle is opened the prop or arm l2 will be forced off the shoulder by the lnovement of the tail of the knuckle, the block 8, the wedgel 9, and prop assuming the positions shown in Fig. 7, the block and prop resting against the end of the tail of the knuckle. As the tail of the knuckle is swung in to olosedfposi'tion its fron t wall will pass by the swinging block and permit it to swing into locking position, and thereby allow the wedge or block 9 to drop to locking position.

In order that the lug 7 may at all times bear firmly against its stop 6, the pivotal point of the block is arranged in front of the center of gravity of the swinging block, so that the lug will always be held against the stop by the weight of the block.

The locking-block is raised to unlocking position by any suitable means connected to the stem l0 of the wedge or block 9, such means being so constructed as to be operative from the side of the car. By providing suitable means for holding this operating mechanism in the position to which it is shifted to unlock thel coupler the prop or arm on the Wedge or block may be dispensed with. A convenient means for unlocking the couplerand for holding it in such position is shown in Fig. l0, and consists of an arm 15,011 a bar lo', which is mounted in suitable bearings l7 and 18 onl the front sill of the car. This shaft or bar 1.6' is provided with a suitable operating-handle 19 and also with a suitable projection 20,adapt ed to engage shoulders on the bearing 18 and hold the shaft in the position to which it is moved to, swing the block from locking position.

As shown in Figs. l and l0, the tail of the knuckle is provided with Aan extension 2l, which will project through the side wall of the coupler when the knuckle is closed, and to this projection is connected a bar or rod 2l, whereby the knuckle can be swung to open and closed position from the side of the car. It is preferred to form an eye on this rod, through which passes the bar li', whereby the rod is supported within con venient reach from the side of the oar.

I claim herein as my inventionl. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging hook provided with a tailpiece, a

'tail of the knuckle, and a wedging-block automatically movable between the locking-block and the wall of the coupler-head for holding the locking-block in locking position, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging hook provided with a tailpiece, a locking-block pivotally mounted in the head so as to swinginto the path of movement of the tail of the knuckle, a shoulder or stop for limiting the forward swing of the locking-block and a wedgiug-block automatically movable between the locking-block and the wall of the coupler-head for holding the locking-block in locking position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging hook provided with a tailpiece, a locking-block pivotally mounted in the coupler-head so as to swing into the path of movement of the tail of the knuckle, a wedgingblock automatically movable between the locking-block and the wall of the couplerhead for holding the locking-block in locking position, and fingers on the locking-block pro` jecting into the path of movement of the wedge or block, whereby the locking-block may be shifted to unlock position by the releasing movement of the wedge or block, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging hook provided with a tailpiece, a locking-block pivotally mounted in the coupler-head so as to swing into the path of movement of the tail of the knuckle, a wedge or block automatically movable between the locking-block and the wall of the couplerhead for holding the locking-block in locking position, fingers on the locking-block projecting into the path of movement of the v'vedg'e or block, whereby the locking-block may be shifted to unlock'position by the releasing movement of the wedge or block and means for holding the wedge or block inv release position, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-coupler, the combination of a swinging hook provided with a tailpiece 1naving at its rear end a seat or supporting portion, a locking-block pivotally mounted in the coupler-head so as to swing into the path of movement of the tail of the knuckle, a wedge or blockl for holding the locking-block in locking position, means whereby the locking-block may be swung to unlock position on the release movement of the wedge or block a-nd an arm or prop on the wedge adapted to be swung onto the seat or supporting'portion of the tail of the knuckle by the release movement of the wedge or block, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. Y Y

JOSEPH KELSO. Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLcoTT, F. E. GAITHER.

ICO 

